Ecclesiastes 7 Parallel Bible Translations

Ecclesiastes 7 ▼
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1 <V 7:2>A good name is better than precious ointments, and a day of death is better than a day of birth. A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth. A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth.
2 <V 7:3>It is better to go to a house of mourning, than to a house of feasting. For in the former, we are admonished about the end of all things, so that the living consider what may be in the future. It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart.
3 <V 7:4>Anger is better than laughter. For through the sadness of the countenance, the soul of one who offends may be corrected. Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad. Frustration is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart.
4 <V 7:5>The heart of the wise is a place of mourning, and the heart of the foolish is a place of rejoicing. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.
5 <V 7:6>It is better to be corrected by a wise man, than to be deceived by the false praise of the foolish. It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools. It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person than to listen to the song of fools.
6 <V 7:7>For, like the crackling of thorns burning under a pot, so is the laughter of the foolish. But this, too, is emptiness. For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fools; this also is vanity. Like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools. This too is meaningless.
7 <V 7:8>A false accusation troubles the wise man and saps the strength of his heart. Surely oppression drives the wise into madness, and a bribe corrupts the heart. Extortion turns a wise person into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart.
8 <V 7:9>The end of a speech is better than the beginning. Patience is better than arrogance. Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.
9 <V 7:10>Do not be quickly moved to anger. For anger resides in the sinews of the foolish. Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools. Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.
10 <V 7:11>You should not say: “What do you think is the reason that the former times were better than they are now?” For this type of question is foolish. Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?” For it is not from wisdom that you ask this. Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is not wise to ask such questions.
11 <V 7:12>Wisdom with riches is more useful and more advantageous, for those who see the sun. Wisdom is good with an inheritance, an advantage to those who see the sun. Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing and benefits those who see the sun.
12 <V 7:13>For as wisdom protects, so also does money protect. But learning and wisdom have this much more: that they grant life to one who possesses them. For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it. Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves those who have it.
13 <V 7:14>Consider the works of God, that no one is able to correct whomever he has despised. Consider the work of God: who can make straight what he has made crooked? Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked?
14 <V 7:15>In good times, enjoy good things, but beware of an evil time. For just as God has establish the one, so also the other, in order that man may not find any just complaint against him. In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him. When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.
15 <V 7:16>I also saw this, in the days of my vanity: a just man perishing in his justice, and an impious man living a long time in his malice. In my vain life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing. In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these: the righteous perishing in their righteousness, and the wicked living long in their wickedness.
16 <V 7:17>Do not try to be overly just, and do not try to be more wise than is necessary, lest you become stupid. Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise— why destroy yourself?
17 <V 7:18>Do not act with great impiety, and do not choose to be foolish, lest you die before your time. Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time? Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool— why die before your time?
18 <V 7:19>It is good for you to support a just man. Furthermore, you should not withdraw your hand from him, for whoever fears God, neglects nothing. It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them. It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes.
19 <V 7:20>Wisdom has strengthened the wise more than ten princes of a city. Wisdom gives strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city. Wisdom makes one wise person more powerful than ten rulers in a city.
20 <V 7:21>But there is no just man on earth, who does good and does not sin. Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins. Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins.
21 <V 7:22>So then, do not attach your heart to every word that is spoken, lest perhaps you may hear your servant speaking ill of you. Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you—
22 <V 7:23>For your conscience knows that you, too, have repeatedly spoken evil of others. Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others. for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.
23 <V 7:24>I have tested everything in wisdom. I have said: “I will be wise.” And wisdom withdrew farther from me, All this I have tested by wisdom. I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me. All this I tested by wisdom and I said, “I am determined to be wise|— but this was beyond me.
24 <V 7:25>so much more than it was before. Wisdom is very profound, so who shall reveal her? That which has been is far off, and deep, very deep; who can find it out? Whatever exists is far off and most profound— who can discover it?
25 <V 7:26>I have examined all things in my soul, so that I may know, and consider, and seek out wisdom and reason, and so that I may recognize the impiety of the foolish, and the error of the imprudent. I turned my heart to know and to search out and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know the wickedness of folly and the foolishness that is madness. So I turned my mind to understand, to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly.
26 <V 7:27>And I have discovered a woman more bitter than death: she who is like the snare of a hunter, and whose heart is like a net, and whose hands are like chains. Whoever pleases God shall flee from her. But whoever is a sinner shall be seized by her. And I find something more bitter than death: the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is taken by her. I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner she will ensnare.
27 <V 7:28>Behold, Ecclesiastes said, I have discovered these things, one after another, in order that I might discover the explanation Behold, this is what I found, says the Preacher, while adding one thing to another to find the scheme of things— “Look,” says the Teacher, “this is what I have discovered: “Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things—
28 <V 7:29>which my soul still seeks and has not found. One man among a thousand, I have found; a woman among them all, I have not found. which my soul has sought repeatedly, but I have not found. One man among a thousand I found, but a woman among all these I have not found. while I was still searching but not finding— I found one upright man among a thousand, but not one upright woman among them all.
29 <V 7:30>This alone have I discovered: that God made man righteous, and yet he has adulterated himself with innumerable questions. Who is so great as the wise? And who has understood the meaning of the word? See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes. This only have I found: God created mankind upright, but they have gone in search of many schemes.”
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